The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) is Scotland's premier independent marine science organisation generating new knowledge for the benefit of the marine environment and society since 1884.

My current research interests are in AMOC and subpolar gyre dynamics and climate change, and the changes they drive in ecosystem-relevant fluxes in the North Atlantic.

I use ocean modelling and Lagrangian particle tracking techniques to examine recent variability in circulation pathways. The addition of larval behaviour to the Lagrangian models allows the modelling of connectivity between deep-sea benthic populations and prediction of how connectivity might change under future conditions of changing circulation, ocean acidification and increasing exploitation of the deep-sea.

I am also interested in developing methods, using techniques from multi-objective optimisation and network analysis, to include connectivity information in conservation planning in the deep sea.

Current research projects

ATLAS. Funded by EU Horizon 2020. 2016-20. My roles within ATLAS are the analysis of data from the new physical and ecosystem flux arrays; and modelling the impact of biological parameters on the Lagrangian connectivity of North Atlantic ecosystems.

Blue-Action. Funded by EU Horizon 2020. 2016-21. My role is within a work package examining lower latitude drivers of Arctic changes, where SAMS leads the research on mechanisms of heat and freshwater transfer from subpolar gyres to the Arctic regions.

Highlight past projects

Daphne Jackson Fellowship. Funded by Heriot-Watt University. 2014-16. The Daphne Jackson Trust helps return STEM researchers to their careers after a break. In 2014 I received one of their Fellowships on “A graph theory approach to assessing connectivity of protected areas in Scottish waters with particular application to cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa.”

Employment history

Since June 2019: Postdoctoral Researcher in Physical Oceanography. SAMS

2016-19: Postdoctoral Researcher. School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh

2014-16: Daphne Jackson Research Fellow. School of Life Sciences, Heriot-Watt University

2001-03: Senior Research Fellow. ESSC, University of Reading

1996-2001: Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Department of Meteorology, University of Edinburgh

1993-96: Postdoctoral Researcher. Department of Mathematics, University of Exeter

1992-93: Consultant Physical Oceanographer. Metocean Consultancy

Qualifications

1992 PhD Physical Oceanography. Bangor University

1989 MSc Physical Oceanography. Bangor University

1986 BSc Mathematics. University of Newcastle uplon Tyne

About us

The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) has been delivering independent marine science since 1884. Based in Oban, 150 staff are working for healthy and sustainably managed seas and oceans through world-class marine research, education and engagement with society.Learn more about us…